What Are You?
by Deadly Fangs
Summary: COMPLETE! Raph and Maya finally admite their feelings 4 each other! Special thanks to everyone that review, read and PM me in regaurds to this story. RaphXOc.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Ninja Turtles or characters. Just Maya

Maya's stomach growled at her in hunger. Standing up, she walked two steps over to her fridge and opened it. Nothing, just like last night and the night before that.

' Where is my food? I'm hungry.' Her birds squaked at her, since they hadn't been fed yet today.

' Sorry Birdy, sorry Love but I have to rashion our food remember?' Maya answered him in his language, then looked over at her fish.

They were moving the gravel at the bottom of the tank, scroungeing for food as well. ' Food?' They asked hopefully.

' I'm sorry.' She said the same thing to her cat and dog who were getting skinny everyday. Taking out her leather coat, Maya wrapped her tail around her waist, grabbed her key to her two room apartment and left. Walking away from the abandoned building she and many other creatures called home, Maya headed towards the pet store. The owner gave her food when ever she could, but busness had been slow lately and she wasn't able to give her food for her friends as often.

**' Maya, good news. They sent me a bag of cat and dog food that had been ripped and gave them to me for free, and some bird and fish food spilled on the floor so I saved them for you.' **That was last month.

Just like last night, the owner said that she didn't have anything for her. Maya walked away broken hearted. As she was walking down an ally, her ears picked up a sound behind her. She didn't pay attention to it, it was probily an animal following her hoping for a meal. She lifted a lid off a dumpster and perred into it, hoping and wishing for something to eat. Then footsteps started again, but it wasn't soft like a paw, it was hard like a shoe. Maya looked up and saw a man with a knife running towards her. She through the lid at him and ran, she didn't have the strength to fight him. To her horror, the ally was a dead end. Pressing her back against the wall, she saw the man walking towards her with a sick look on his face. " Your gonna pay for that bitch." He tried to grab her, but Maya fought back. If she died, who would care for her friends? Using her powers, she changed her canine teeth into snakes fangs and bit him on the arm, the venom pumping into him. He tore his arm free and kicked her in the chest, making her fall back and hit her head on the wall. Blood dripped from her wound as she fell to the ground, the fight was gone, she had used the last of her energy to change her teeth.

Then she saw four figures land behind him. With incredable speed and strength, the four figures fought the man until he was unconsince. A thought hit her. What if these four people had been sent to collect her and bring her back to the lab? No! She would not go back, she was free and she was going to stay that way.

" Hey, are you all right kid?" One of the figures asked and walked closer to her. Maya's eyes became cat-like and she hissed at him, bareing her fangs.

" Be careful Donny, she could be dangerous." A deeper voice said to Donny.

" Hey guys, look. She has a tail." Now all four figures were coming closer.

Then her stomach growled.

" You hungry kid?" A kind voice said to her. " Mikey, give me your sandwhich and water." As Mikey was digging through his bag, Maya got a good look at the four figures. They were gaint turtles. Maya relaxed a little, the lab wouldn't send other experimants to collect her, they would just run like her. Her mouth watered as she saw the food and water, it had been three days since she last ate. " Here ya go kid." The turtle in front of her held the food at her. She grabbed the food out of his three fingerd hand and ate half the sandwhich in two seconds. They watched in stunned silent as she finished the food and water in under ten seconds.

" I think she beat your record for eating Mikey. When was the last time you ate kid?" Donny asked.

" Do you think you could do that again?" Mikey asked only to have the turtle next to him hit him on the back of the head. " Ow! What was that for Raph?"

" You saw the way she grabbed the food and water from Leo! She probaly hasn't eaten in days, and to much will make her sick!"

Leo stood up and nodded his head. " Raph's right Mikey and I think we should get her back to the lair so Master Splinter can see her." Maya shook her head no, she had to get back to her friends.

" C'mon kid, you can have more food." Mikey said to her, taking a step away from Raph when he raised his hand.

" No, I have to get back to my friends. They need food too." Maya said to them.

" What type of friends?" Donny asked.

" A dog, cat, two birds and four fish. I've looked after them for two years now." Maya tried to get up, but her legs wouldn't support her and they gave out.

" Careful kid-"

" Maya."

" Maya, why don't you show us where you live and we'll go get your friends. They can come with us." Leo and Donny helped her to her feet and she showed them where she lived.

" You live here? It's a dump!" Raph said as they climbed the rotten stairs.

" Better then living on the street." Maya snapped back. The wound on her head had stopped bleeding but she now had a headache. She took the key out of her pocket, she unlocked the door and led them in.

" How can you live like this?" Donny asked as he stepped over piles of ruble that had been pushed aside.

" You learn to adjust over time." Her dog saw her and wagged his tail but growled at the turtles. ' Strangers, I don't like strangers.' Maya held up a finger at them and responded to the dog in a series of barks and woofs. ' Friends, promised food and water and better home if we go to their place.' The dog gave a smile and walked over to them.

" How did you do that?" Donny asked as he petted the dog.

" I can talk to animals in their language." Birdy, Love and the fish agreed, but the cat didn't want to leave from her spot on the piled cardboard they called a bed. Maya finaly wrapped her in a blanket and picked her up. But her legs still wouldn't hold her weight.

" Don't worry Maya, one of us can carry you and the cat." Mikey said and walked towards her.

" Forget it Mikey, you have to carry the bird cage." Raph said and gave him the bird cage.

" Why do I have to carry the smelliest object?" Mickey complained as he held the cage at an arms length.

" Would you rather carry the fish tank?" Leo huffed at him holding the fish tank in his arms. " Besides, you drew the short straw."

" Looks like you'll have to carry her Raph. The dog wont leave me." Donny said as the dog pressed against his leg.

" Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Mikey smiled and laughed.

Raph rolled his eyes and picked Maya up. " As soon as we get back to the lair, you're gonna regret that." Mikey's smile dissappeard and they walked out the door. For some reason, Maya felt safe as Raph carried her out of the building. She closed her eyes and rested.

" Looks like Maya fell asleep." Donny said as he opened a man hole, picked up the dog and went down. It took some time getting the fish tank and bird cage down, but they got them through the hole.

" I'll take Maya and you can take the cat down." Mikey said to Raph, but Leo called from the hole.

" Mikey, just take the cat! After Raph gets Maya down here, you give the cat back and take back the bird cage!" Mikey took the cat and climbed down, with Raph following, pulling the cover back into place. Maya gave a ragged cough as they continued walking. " She doesn't sound very good. Does she have a fever Raph?"

" She feels a little warm but she's shaking."

" Better hurry then." They reached the lair five minutes later and found April and Casey Jones talking with Master Splinter.

" Guy's? What are ya doin' with the animals and kid?" Casey asked only to have Leo give him the fish tank.

" Put that by the TV's for now. Raph, put Maya on the couch."

" Oh, like I never thought of that!" Raph said sarcasticly as he put Maya down.

April put her hand on Maya's forhead. " She has a fever, and from the looks of it she hasn't had anything to eat in a while."

" Michaelangelo, bring a pillow and blanket. Donatello, get my herb jar and a cold wash cloth. Leonardo and Raphael, tell me what happened." They told Master Splinter everything, how they had found her in the ally, the way she devouerd the food and how she couldn't seem to walk.

" Wait a minute. She has a tail and she came talk to animals in their language? Just how is that possible?" Casey asked. No one paid attention to him. Maya had started coughing and couldn't seem to stop. The dog, cat and bird went to her, even the fish swam to the side of the tank closest to her. Master Splinter put some herbs in water and gave it to her. A few minutes later her coughing had stopped but she was still shakeing.

" Maya? Can you hear me?" Donny asked her.

" Name...not Maya."

He looked up in surprise. " What is your real name?"

" Number...2465-66...experimental...fighter." They were in shock. Maya was a name she gave herself and she was a runaway experiment.

" Were you always like this?"

" Yes...born like this."

" Who was incharge?"

" Shredder...He killed mom." A tear rolled down her face. Now they were all upset. Everywhere they went, the Shredder had ruined a life.

" We should let her rest. If she wants to tell us anything else, she can do so later." Master Splinter said. They all nodded their heads and let Maya get some much needed sleep. She slept through the next couple of days, the animals only leaveing her to eat and do their buiness. On the third day she woke up. The dog barked and started to lick her face.

" Hey guy's! Maya's awake!" Mikey called and gently pulled the dog off of her.

The first thing she said when the turtles were there was " Is there any food?"

Then Casey Jones came in wearing his hockey mask and Maya screamed.

Stopping there as I have writers block bad. Tell me what you think!

No flames as they will be used to heat my three story house.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own TMNT, just Maya and her pets.

Ch.2

As soon as Maya screamed, the dog and cat jumped up and ran towards Casey to attack him.

" Uh oh. Call them off, CALL THEM OFF!!" Casey said as he ran away from the cat and dog who were gaining on him. He jumped onto a tall bookcase and tried to climb to the top, but the dog got the seat of his pants and ripped part of them off. As he climb up to the top, everyone saw his purple boxers with little yellow smiley faces.

" Hey Casey, nice boxers man! Real original!" Raph said as he laughed.

" Yeah yeah, laugh it up." As soon as he said that, the rest of the turtles started to laugh while holding onto their sides. " Not that hard!" Casey said as he pushed the hissing and spitting cat away from him with his foot.

Master Splinter came out of his room when he heard the noise and looked to see what was going on. " My sons. Why is Casey sitting on our bookcase with Miss Maya's dog and cat attacking him?"

" He was wearing his mask when he came in just a few minute after Maya woke up Master Splinter. He made her scream and that's when the dog and cat attacked him." Leo explained as he caught his breath, only to start laughing again when the cat dug her teeth and claws into Casey's pant leg and wouldn't let go.

" Maya. You need to call off your friends. Casey is a friend of ours and he won't hurt you." Donny said as he tried to stop laughing and talk to Maya in a calming voice, who was shaking.

She gave a nod and gave a bark and them a meow. Imedeatly, both the dog and cat stopped attacking Casey, turned around and walked back to them. Casey, who was still on the bookshelf, waited until they were a good distance away before climbing down. He was carefull not to turn around unless he wanted the guys to start laughing at him again. The dog still had part of his pants in its jaw and from the draft he was feeling, the rip was pretty darn big. Just as he was about to ask for something to cover the rip with, Raph tossed a towel in his face.

" Next time you come down here man, don't wear the mask. Unless you like getting attacked by a cat and dog." Raph said as Casey tied the towel around his waist while muttering under his breath. " Purple boxers; with smiley faces! What were you thinking when you got those? Were you drunk or something?" Raph said mostly to himself as the walked towards the others.

Maya was talking to the dog with barks and woofs again while the cat curled up on the blanket that covered Maya's legs. When she was done, the dog dropped the fabric and licked her face. But when he saw Casey walking towards them, he stood protectively in front of Maya and gave a low warning growl.

' What are you doing? I told you that this guy is a friend of the turtles.' Maya said to the dog.

' He made you scream, he made you afraid. I will not let him near you.' That was all the dog said before he gave another growl, this time showing off his teeth.

" What? What did I do now?" Casey asked as he sided stepped around the couch where the dog was standing.

" He doesn't like you because you made me scream." Maya said in a small voice before letting out a cough.

" We told you not to wear the mask when you came down here Casey. We didn't know when Maya would wake up." Don said as he handed Maya a glass of water that Mikey had got from the kitchen.

As they talked, Maya drank the water. Her mouth felt like sandpaper and her throat felt ten time worst. She heard the birds lift the latch to the cage door and knew that they were gonna get out. When she finished the drink, she gave a series of quick little chirps. ' What are you two doing? You better not be planning to take a dump on this Casey guy's head.'

' Want to see you. We've been worried about you.' Love said as Birdy held the cage door open for her. They quickly flew out and landed on her right shoulder. Maya let out a small giggle when Birdy rubbed his feathery head against her cheek.

Raph turned his head slightly when he heard a giggle come from Maya. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her gently rub her finger over the back of the two birds on her shoulder with a smile on her face. A strange feeling started in his stomach when she let out another giggle and her smile got wider. _**' She is kinda cute-Woah! Did I just think that?'**_ He quickly turned his head away before any more strange thought popped up into his head.

" Any way, just wanted to let you guy know that April is going to be coming down after closing time with some things for the kid-"

" I'm not a kid, I'm a teenager."

Casey carefully eyed the dog while he spoke to Maya. " Sorry, you just look young."

" Two years scraping by just to survive can do that to ya. When you're trying to find food for yourself and several others, things just get that much harder. Thanks Mikey." Maya said as she spoke to Casey then to Mikey who was giving her a bowl of soup.

This time, when Raph saw Mikey give Maya a smile, anger started to rise in his stomach. Raph gave his head a quick shake. What was wrong with him? They only met Maya a few days ago, so why was he feeling like this?

It was Leo who stopped his train of though. " Hey, you okay Raph? You look a little funny."

Pushing his brother's hand off of his shoulder, Raph started to walk to his room. " I'm fine Leo, now leave me alone." There was no way he was going to tell Leo what was going on in his head; he would just tell Master Splinter and then they would need to have a talk.

Master Splinter gave a sigh as he watch his son shut the door to his room. He had seen the ways Raph look at Maya out of the corner of his eyes and when she was still sick with a fever. Looking over at her, he was glad to see that she was now feeling better. She was talking with Donny who was asking questions about her tail and what kind of powers that she had. It was then that Master Splinter saw her stiffle a yawn. " Donatello, I think our guest needs some more sleep now."

" All right Sensei. I'll talk to you later Maya." Donny said as he stood up and walked to his little lab.

" Bye Don...Master Splinter?"

" Yes child?"

Maya gave him a small smile. " Thank you. For everything."

He smiled back at her before going back into his room. Maya lied down on her side and pulled the blanket up to her chin before closeing her eyes. As she started to fall asleep, she heard the birds go back into their cage, the cat curl up near her head and the dog climb up on the couch and settled down at her feet. She fell asleep knowing that she and her friends were safe.

FINALY!! CH.2 IS UP!! Special thanks to wolverine24 and all who reviewed. R and R please!


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own TMNT characters. Only Maya and her pets.

Ch.3

It was in the early evening before April came by the lair with a couple of bags of stuff. " Hey guys! I could use a little help here." April called out as she waked in. Leo came over and took one of the bags while Mikey came and took the other one.

" So what did you bring April?" Mikey asked as he dug through the bag. Master Splinter was sitting calmly while they came over but gave Mikey a quick hit on the head with his walking stick. " Ow! Sensei, what was that for?" Mikey wined as he rubbed the stop on his head.

" It is not nice to go through things that are not yours Michaelangelo. These things are for Miss Maya." Master Splinter looked back at the couch where Maya was still sleeping. " It appears that she was more tired then we realized. Raphael, please go and get Miss Maya. I'm sure she would like to see what Miss O'Neil brought her."

As Raph walked out of the room grumbling under his breath, he saw Mikey give him an evil grin. " Don't even say it Mikey, or so help me I'll stick that bird cage in your room and take all of your comic books." Showing that he was being serious, Raph raised a balled up fist and shook it in Mikey's direction.

" Raphael, go now!"

" Yes Sensei."

" What's with him? You know, besides Mikey bugging again." Don asked when Raph left the room.

" I believe your brother would rather not talk about it. Michaelangelo! I thought I told you not to go through things that are not yours!"

" Ah, but Master Splinter-"

" Ten flips, now!."

" Ah shell..." With that, he moved to a clear part of the room and started doing back flips.

Raph could hear the others talking about him as he turned the corner and walked towards the couch. Maya was still sound asleep on the couch with her cat and dog curled up around her. Not really wanting to get the animals angry at him, he carefully reached over and gently shook her shoulder. " Maya, Maya wake up...Come on kid, April got some things for you." He saw the dog raised his head and looked at him. " What are you looking at?" The dog got off the couch and sat down near Maya's head and just looked at Raph for a few minutes. Then without warning, he gave out a loud bark. Maya woke up with a start and fell off the couch, landing with a loud thud on the floor.

" OW! What the heck- Jack! What did you do that for? Oh, um, hi Raph."

" You alright kid?"

" Think so. What's up?"

" April brought some things for you in the kitchen. C'mon." With that he turned and started to walk back to the kitchen.

" Uh, Raph?" Maya called out from behind him.

Turning back around again, Raph saw that Maya was struggleing to get back up on the couch. " What's wrong Maya?"

She gave him a quick look before looking away in embarresment. " I can't stand up. My legs keep giving out on me."

Rolling his eyes, he walked back to her again before picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. " I can't believe I have to do this."

" What are you doing?!" Maya exclaimed as she struggled to righten herself while whacking her hands against Raphs shell. " Do you have any idea as to how aquard this is?!"

_**' I have a pretty good idea.'**_ Raph thought as he tried to hold Maya still and walk at the same time. " Will you just hold still! And stop hitting my shell!"

" I'll stop hitting you when you stop carrying me like this! Your shell is hurting my stomach."

Growling this time, Raph shifted Maya until he was carrying her in his arms with her arms wrapped around his neck. " There, is that...better?" Raph trailed off when he saw that Maya was pressing her head close to his neck. Her warm breath was sending shivers down his spine and made that strange feeling reappear in his stomach again. When she raised her head slightly and looked at him, he felt a blush starting to rise to his face. Turning his face away before she saw anything, Raph tried to supress the blush that was now burning up his face. _**' Ah shell, what is the matter with me?'**_

Maya could see a slight redness to Raph's face and wondered what was the matter. Maybe he getting sick or something, since she noticed that his breathing and heart rate had picked up. " Raph, are you okay?"

_**' No, I'm not. I get anywhere near you and I start blushing for crying out loud!'**_ " I'm fine. Lets go see what April brought you." He said in a gruffer than usual voice and started walking back to the kitchen. As soon as he walked into the kitchen and everyone saw him carrying Maya in his arms, Mikey burst out laughing.

" Geez Raph, what are you doing?" Leo asked with a raised eyeridge.

Before Raph could answer, Maya spoke up. " I couldn't walk so Raph helped me...Who are you?" Maya directed her gaze to April as her tail gave a twitch.

April smiled as she took out some of the cloths she had gotten for Maya. " My name is April O'Neil. I was here when the guys brought you to the lair three days ago. I thought you could use some new cloths and some other things."

As April showed Maya, who was now sitting in a chair, some of the new, clean cloths, Raph was ignoring Mikey who was teasing him about Maya. Finally, Raph snapped and started running after the now screaming Mikey. When Mikey rounded the corner, he didn't see the cat sitting on the floor washing herself and stepped on her tail. The cat yowled in pain and anger before turning on Mikey and started to advance. " Uh, a little help please?"

" Sorry Mikey, your on your own." Maya spoke up as she picked up a baggy black shirt with a skull on the front. " You stepped on her tail and she just claimed revenge. I can't do a thing and quite frankly, I don't want to. Having your tail stepped on really hurts."

As the cat ran hissing and spitting after Mickey, everyone else went to see what April had brought.

There you have it people. Read and Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own TMNT characters. Only Maya and her pets.

This chapter is for i'MoKyOu'ReOk. What? That was the only person that review for chapter 3! Review and you'll get a chapter dedicated for u 2.

Ch.4

After the cat had bit and scratched at Mickey for a good half hour, Maya felt the cat jump up onto her lap and look at the table to see what had been given to them. ' Is there anything for me and the others?'

Giving a small smile, Maya held up a bag of cat treats and a new collar. ' And there's more where this came from. Hey, easy girl! You already gave your claws a work out, remember?'Maya laughed slightly as the cat tried to jump up and grab the cat treats out of her hand. The sound of claws on the floor made her head turn. See the dog walk in with Birdy and Love on his back, she had to smile. Seeing a red and black bandanna, an idea crossed her mind. " Hey Jack, come here boy." When Jack was sitting in front of her, she grabbed the bandanna and loosely tied it around his neck. " There you go. Looks better on you than it would on me."

' Thank you Maya! Hey, I remember you.' Jack barked as he thanked Maya and saw April watch the exchange with interest. As Jack padded over to April and Maya got some treats for the cat and birds, Master Splinter sat down across from her.

" Miss Maya, could you answer some questions for us?"

" Sure. What did you want to know?" Maya asked as she carefully rubbed Love on the head.

Leo knew what Master Splinter wanted to ask. What he didn't know was how Maya and her friends would react. " Maya, when you were sick, you were talking in your sleep. You mentioned the Shredder." As soon as Leo said that word, Maya's tail went all poofy and the animals started to make angry noises. Then they all went to sit by or on Maya. Jack placed himself right at her feet and continued to growl while looking around the room, the cat was sitting in her lap with all her fur standing up while her ears were flat on her head and her tail wagging angrily and the bird landed on her shoulders, Birdy on the right and Love on the left. Maya's eyes had turn to slits, snake fangs were peeking out of her mouth while her shaggy brown and red hair was standing up.

Lifting her head so that her green eyes looked right at Leo, she hissed out, " I strongly suggest that you don't say that name around me or my friends. They wont attack you right now because you looked after me, but next time you wont be so luck."

" Wow, how did you do that with your eyes?" Mikey asked as he pointed a green finger at her face, only to quickly pull his hand away when the cat tried to bite him.

" Easy Blue. I wouldn't do that Mikey, she still doesn't like you after you stepped on her tail. As for the eyes," Maya lifted a hand to her face, only to stop an inch from her eyes, " It happens every time I get angry or scared. Its been like this since I was born...or so my mother said." She mumbled the last part.

" What about your father?"

She shrugged her shoulders. " I don't know. I never knew him, all I know is that I look like him since I don't look anything like my mother...she died...trying to protect me."

Don sat down in a chair next to her. " What happened Maya? What did he do to you and your mother?"

" He came into our cell the night I turned ten; he said it was time I learned how to be a real woman. Yes, I know what that means so don't give me that look Don. He had Hun hold my mother back while he grabbed me by the back of my shirt and started to drag me out. I didn't have my powers yet, so I was to weak to stop him. Mom used her powers to push Hun away and pull me free. That was when he turned around and started to stab her. After a few minutes he and Hun left and I tried to stop the bleeding but it was to late...my mom had died and it was all my fault."

" Maya, you were only a kid. There was nothing you could have done." Leo said quietly. He couldn't even imagine loosing someone close like that.

" Don't even start with that stuff Leo. I could have done something but I was huddled in a corner, to scared to move! I saw my mother die and had to look at her body for a week because they refused to move her! And you know what they did? They put her body in an incinerator and made me watch her burn!" Tears threatened to fall but she angrily wiped them away with the back of her hand. She hadn't cried since that awful day her mother had been killed. For then next four years her life had been a living hell. The other experiments, the ones that were proud to serve the Shredder, saw her as weak because they had stronger powers than she did. I wasn't until she got out with the help of a mouse that she had started to live again. She had found a place to live and animals to call friends; sure things were hard but it was better than wasting away in a cell for the rest of her life.

As Raph watch Maya rub at her eyes, he felt anger and saddnes rise up from his stomach. Angry that the Shredder had put her through so much and sad because she had no one to turn to. **' Man I hate that Shredder. This is low, even for him.'**

" Guys, I think you should stop for the night." April said as she passed Maya a tissue.

" I agree with Miss O'Neil. Besides, it is time for tonight's training. Miss Maya, would you like to get some more sleep or watch?" Master Splinter said as he stood up from his chair. After hearing Maya's story, he believed that some meditation would help clear their heads.

" I'm not very tired, so I think I'll watch."

With that said, Raph picked her up again since the cat wouldn't let Mikey anywhere near her. April said that she had to go make sure Casey hadn't broke anything while she was gone and that she would see them tomorrow morning. Once again, a shiver ran down Raph's spine as Maya wrapped her arms around his neck but thankfully, he didn't blush. The last thing he wanted was one of his brothers, namely Mikey, to question him about it. Placing her next to the fish tank which was currently next to the couch, he walked over and joined the others.

' Maya, what did the big rat mean by training?'Blue meowed quietly at her as they watched. Birdy and Love were still on her shoulders while Jack was sitting next to her.

' I don't know Blue. I guess that we'll just have to wait and see.' Maya responded and then waited to see just what this training was.

Ya know the drill. Read + Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

How many times do I have to tell you people that I don't own TMNT? All I own is Maya and her pets.

This chapter is for i'MoKyOu'ReOk, because she was the only one to review for the last chapter. And chapter two is now dedicated for stylin-cute because she was the only one to review for that chapter.

Anybody don't like it? Then suck it up!

Ch.5

Maya was sitting on the floor infront of the couch watching something called 'wrestling' with Raph on something called a 'TV'. When she was still on the streets, she had seen other people watching things on it and if she was able to, ask the household pets what it was about. Most of the time they would tell her that they couldn't see the pictures to well or they couldn't understand what they were saying. It had been about a week since the guys had found her in the alley and she was almost able to walk by herself now, although Raph still carried her around from her room to the kitchen when needed. Hearing the door to the lair open, she turned her head slightly and saw Mikey walk in with him stuggleing to hold onto about six bags that he was carrying.

" Hi guys! Hey Maya!" Mikey said as he started to walk up to them.

" Mikey, what the shell did you get?" Raph asked as he grabbed the remote off the couch. The last time Mikey got his hands on the remote they were stuck watching monster movies for the next four hours until Master Splinter took it way so that he could watch his soaps.

Maya's tail twitched slightly, accidently brushing agianst Mikey's foot. Mikey, not being able to see past the bags and unable to tell what just touched his foot, yelped and stomped down.

Big, **BIG**, mistake.

The minute Maya felt Mikey stomp on her foot, pain shot through her like a lightning bolt. Her brown and red hair on her head stood on end as well as the fur on her tail and the soft tan fur covering the rest of her body as she let out an ear splitting screach of pain. " GET OFF OF MY TAIL!!"

Raph had jumped up and pushed Mikey off of Maya's tail, resulting in Mikey droping the bags and landing on his rear. Raph then picked Maya up and put her on the couch as Leo, Donny and Master Splinter came to see what had happened.

" What happened? Did Mikey step on the cat's tail again?" Leo asked as he ran up to them, only to stop when he saw the pained look on Maya's face and her bent tail. " Oh no, you didn't..."

" He did." Raph growled out as he looked back at Mikey.

" My sons, what happened?" Master Splinter asked. There was suddenly a loud yowl and Mikey yelling his head off as he ran away from a very angry cat, followed by the birds who were squacking their heads off at him.

" SOME ONE HELP ME!!" Mikey screamed and then yelped as Blue managed to scratch the back of his leg.

Donny took one look at Maya's tail and flinched. It was bent at an odd angle and was now swollen to twice its normal size. " I'll go get the first aid kit so I can set your tail...Wow. You look like a puff ball."

Realizing that Donny was right, Maya tried to smooth down her fur. She managed to get most of it down but the fur on her arms, shoulders, back and the back of her neck continued to stand up. There was suddenly a brush in her face and when she turned to see who was holding it, she saw Raph with a strange look in his eyes. " Thanks Raph, I-"

" EWWW!!" A shrill scream from Mikey cut her off. They all turned to see him trying to wipe something white off his head while continueing to run from the cat and birds.

" What does Mikey have on his head or do I not want to know?" Donny asked as he came back with the first aid kit and Jack who put his head on Maya's lap as she brushed an arm.

" Bird poop."

" ...What?"

" Mikey has bird poop on his head." Maya said with a shrug of her shoulders as if it happend all the time. As she continued to brush down her fur, Donny took his one chance and quickly snapped her tail in place. Her fur went all poofy again and her eyes turned to slits as she let out a a cry of pain and tried to get away only to practicly fall of the couch. Right before she hit the ground, Maya felt two strong arms wrap around her middle and pull her against him.

" It's alright Maya. Donny's not gonna hurt you." She heard Raph tell her as Donny wrapped her tail in a splint. Raph could feel her shaking from the pain in her tail and carefully wrapped his arms around her as she pressed her face into his neck.

Master Splinter saw this and motioned Leonardo to follow him. " Come my son. I believe that your brother needs to be alone right now."

" Yes Sensei." Leo said as he took one last look at Raph and Maya before walking away with a smile on his face. **' Looks like Raph like Maya after all.'**

As soon as Donny finished with the splint, he packed up the first aid kit and walked away while avoiding Mikey who was STILL being chased by the cat and birds. " Hey Maya? I think you better call of your friends. Mikey has more bird droppings on his head and scratch marks on his legs."

" I think I'm beinging to like those friends of yours Maya." Raph said as Maya chuckled under her breath and after a quick meow and chirp, Blue, Birdy and Love all stopped chasing Mikey and returned to her. Much to his surprise, Jack and Blue turned to each other and started to have a coversation. " Maya, what are they talking about?"

Maya's eyes went wide as she caught on to the conversation and her face turned a bright shade of red under her fur. " Jack, Blue, if you need to talk about something like that, got someplace else or stop it!"

Jack just gave her a doggie smile while Blue let out a purr/meow. With that, they both walked away with Birdy and Love on Jack's back.

Y'all know the drill. Read+ReviewOne happy Deadly Fangs.

By the way, Blue the cat, Birdy and Love the birds and the fish are my real pets. I ment to call Jack the dog Joe in honor of my first dog who someone killed with a 2 by 4 to the head, but it couldn't do it. It hurt to much.

And no, I will not give out my real name!

There, fixed a mistake.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own TMNT, just Maya and her pets.

Last chapter! Specail that to everyone that reviewed, u all rock! If you want to see more of Maya, review and PM me!

Ch.6

" I cannot believe you two! How could you start talking about something like that when Raph was right beside me!" Maya hissed out as she continued to brush down the fur on her back. After Jack and Blue left, Raph had carried her to her room so that she could get some sleep. However, she was just to upset to sleep right now. Tail wagging ever so slightly because of the splint, she glared at her so called ' friends'.

' But Maya, he can't understand a word we say. I don't see what the big deal is.' Blue meowed at her.

' As much as I hate to say this, the old cat does have a point Maya. We know about your feelings for the guy, so why try to hide it? Hey! Don't bite me!" Jack barked out as Blue tried to bite his paw for the ' old cat' comment.

Laying back down on her bed, Maya groaned. " That's not the point and you two know it...Stop fighting! The point is that I trusted you two not to say anything in front of Master Splinter or the guys." Rubbing her hands over her face, Maya listened for a few more minutes of Blue and Jack fighting before she snapped at them. " That is it! Jack, go to Donny; Blue, go find Klunk or something. Just get your furry little rears out of here before I scream!" Hearing the two of them walk to the door and then the pet flap move, Maya closed her eyes and tried to see if she could get some more rest. Finding that she couldn't, she opened her eyes and looked up at Birdy and Love who were cuddling in their cage. ' Birdy, Love, can I ask you two a question?'

' Of course Maya. What is it?'Love chirped as she opened the cage door and both of them flew out and landed on Maya's out stretched hand. ' Does it have something to do with what Jack and Blue said to you?'

' Yes...How can you tell when you love someone? And how can you be sure that they return the feelings?'

The two birds looked at each other and then back at Maya. ' Ahhh, young love. You feel like your on top of the world whenever you see the one you think you love, that there is nothing in the whole world that could tear you two apart. And if they return the feelings, you know that your life is complete.'Love said as she kissed Birdy on his beak. ' You just need to take your time, and not rush into things. Start out at a pace that your most comfortable with and go from there. Does that help you dear?'Love asked as she flapped her wings again. It was around that time of day when she and Birdy went for a little flight.

" A little...go for your flight, and Love? Thanks for the talk. Sometimes Blue is just to set in her ways and Jack is just a little too young."

' Any time Maya...Oh, and you may want to try and brush down your fur again. If you lie down on it while it's still standing up, it'll look funky.'Love said as she and Birdy flew out of the room.

Groaning, Maya sat up again and grabbed the brush that Raph had given her. As she brushed her back, she recalled the funny look in his eyes and the way he had held her when Donny put the splint on her tail. She had never felt so safe before; even when she was on the street, she knew that she was on her own and that she always had to be on her guard just in case someone found out who and what she was. But when she was around Raph, it was like no one could touch her without running the risk of having their bones broken. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear the door open and the footsteps walking towards her.

" Need some help?"

Looking up, she saw Raph was staring at her with a very small blush on his face. Feeling a blush of her own creep up her face, Maya handed Raph the brush and allowed him to gently brush down the fur on her back. After a few minutes, her eyes started to drop and she started to purr.

The funny feeling in his stomach returned full force when he heard Maya purr, but by now, he realized that he didn't mind it as much anymore. That weak in the knees feeling, however, was another story. " Maya? Are you still awake?" He cursed himself when he heard the huskiness in his voice and a very inappropriate image popped into his head.

" Yeah, I'm still awake. You just have no idea how good this feels. The last time someone else brushed my back was when my mother was still alive..." Her voice trailed off and her purring stopped shortly after.

Without thinking, Raph put down the brush and wrapped Maya in a hug.

Sniffling, Maya returned the hug and chocked back a sob. " I miss her so much Raph! She was the only one that made life worth living for me...I'm lucky I did die back there!" Her sobs and shaking were increasing as she cried her heart out for the first time in her life. After years of having no one to turn to for help or comfort, all the emotions came crashing over her like a title wave. " I was so alone! All I wanted was my mother back, someone to turn to, but I had no one at all!"

Raph said nothing, only held her tighter as the flood gates were open and Maya cried. Resting one hand on the back of her head and the other on the small of her back, he made small soothing circles and let her cry onto his shoulder. He could never knew what it was like for her to grow up like that, having no one at all. Raph knew that one day he would lose Master Splinter, but that wouldn't come for a long time. Even then, he would have his brothers. Anything dirty left his mind and all he thought about was comforting Maya. " You're never going to be alone ever again Maya, I promise." He told her as the tears continued to roll down her face.

" Do you mean that?" Maya asked as she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes.

Cupping her face in his hands, Raph looked right into her eyes. Even red from crying, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. " I promise...Maya, there's something I need to tell you. Something that I've been trying to get the courage to do for a few days now." He saw that he had her full attention and continued. " When I first saw you in that alley, I felt something that I never had before. When you were sick with that fever for the first three days, I would sneak down at night and watch you sleep, hoping that you would get better soon. And when I saw you smile and laugh, it was like you turned on a light that I didn't realize was off."

Maya's heart started to pump harder, not out of fear, but something else...Love? Could it be love that was making her feel this way? " What are you trying to say Raph?" Her voice came out in a whisper, not wanting to break the silents.

Gulping, Raph continued to look at her as he finaly told her just how he felt. " Maya, I love you." Then he leaned forwards and kissed her on the lips while brushing the tears off her cheeks.

Maya's eyes fluttered shut and she wrapped her arms around Raph's neck, pressing herself closer to him. She felt an emptiness in her heart fill up with love from the kiss, an emptiness, she realized, had been there since her mother died. They finally broke way for air and looked at each other with smiles. " I love you too Raph." Maya said as she hugged him and smiled even bigger as he hugged her just as tight. **' I'm happy mom. I'm free and I'm happy with the person that I love.'**

Neither one saw the faint silloet of a person standing in the corner of the room, smiling at her daughter and her boyfriend. The ghost whispered one last I love you Maya and disappeared.

I don't care if the ending was sappy! Raph and Maya are now a couple!

Remember: reading + reviewing equals one happy Deadly Fangs!


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